Yesterday, Judge Anna Brown handed out “not guilty” verdicts to both Ammon and Ryan Bundy, leaders of the 41 day occupation of Malheur National Wildlife refuge near Burns, Oregon earlier this year.

The Bundys along with five other defendants, were acquitted of all major charges relating to the Oregon protest event, including ‘conspiring to impede refuge employees’ and possession of firearms at a federal facility.

Ammon Bundy led the protest in Oregon in January 2016.

Ammon and Ryan Bundy are still being held in custody however, awaiting a second trial will they will face federal charges in the state of Nevada over the high-profile Bundy Ranch Standoff with the employees of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) near Bunkerville in April 2014.

Not surprisingly, the surprise acquittal has sent Democratic Party-linked media outlets into a tail spin. The New York Times still labelled the the Bundy brothers as “Armed antigovernment protesters” indicating a hyperbolic editorial bias against the defendants which was visible through the trajectory of this story.

Similarly, both Oregon Gov. Kate Brown and Harney County Sheriff David Ward, both of who were played crucial roles in the state’s escalation of violence that ended in Finicum’s death, are on record saying that were not happy with Friday’s verdict. Brown even issued a public statement saying she was ‘disappointed’ the jury’s decision.

Despite a campaign of highly coordinated ‘trial by media’ propaganda, led by the Oregonian Newspaper and other federal-leaning media outlets like the Washington Post, and ultra-liberal websites like Salon.com – the jury was still able to judge the facts, and eventually ruled on the side of the protesters.

“I knew that what my husband was doing was right, but I was nervous because the judge was controlling the narrative,” said Angela Bundy, 39, wife of Ryan to a Times reporter.

Police Tase Bundy Lawyer in Courtroom

Right after the verdict was rendered, a bizarre courtroom scene erupted which ended in one of the Bundy’s defense lawyers was tased and taken into custody after he asked the court to produce paperwork showing the order to ‘rearrest’ his client. Attorney Marcus Mumford was visibly shaken after the incident.